Are Political Conventions a Waste of Time? — Survey of the Day

This week, the Republicans are holding their national political convention in Tampa, Florida. Next week it will be the Democrats doing the same in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At these giant political powwows, both sides will try to use pomp and circumstance and speeches to convince the television-watching public that they should vote for their candidates come November 6.

But does the public find these exercises in persuasion worth all the effort? According to a new poll from Rasmussen of 1,000 likely voters, maybe not so much. Forty-four percent of the poll’s respondents said that political convention are “a waste of time and money.” Thirty-five percent disagreed with that assessment and 22 percent were undecided on the value of political conventions.